The Latest: Prosecutor blames defense for all-white jury

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The latest on the trial of a former police officer in Oklahoma City who has been accused by 13 women of rape or sexual assault (all times are local):

11 p.m.

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater says defense attorneys for an ex-Oklahoma City police officer convicted of rape were responsible for ensuring there was an all-white jury considering the case.

Prater said Thursday that he wanted a jury that was a "good cross-section of our community," but defense attorneys eliminated every potential black juror during the selection process. Prater said his objections were overruled by the judge.

Defense attorney Scott Adams declined to comment after the verdict and did not immediately return telephone messages seeking comment about jury selection.

U.S. Census data show about 15 percent of Oklahoma City's population is African-American.

All of the 13 accusers in the case were black women.

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10 p.m.

Oklahoma City's police chief says he's thankful to the jury that convicted one of his former officers of sexually abusing women on the beat.

Bill Citty said in a statement Thursday night that the trial of former officer Daniel Holtzclaw was "long and difficult" for all involved. He says he's proud of his detectives and local prosecutors.

Holtzclaw was convicted of 18 of 36 counts involving eight of the 13 women who testified against him.

After one woman accused Holtzclaw of forcing her to perform oral sex, police identified 12 other women who said the officer had victimized them. Citty fired him before trial.

He called Holtzclaw's case the worst he'd seen in nearly four decades in law enforcement.

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9:45 p.m.

The mother of a teenager who accused an Oklahoma City police officer of raping her clapped a string of guilty verdicts was announced.

Daniel Holtzclaw was convicted of 18 counts involving eight of the 13 women who had accused him of rape or sexual assault. The jury acquitted him on another 18 counts.

The mother of the youngest accuser said she went to courthouse to hear the verdict, but found the doors locked. She was able to race home in time to see it on TV.

She says she feels like justice has been served.

The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sex crimes and is not using the mother's name so as not to identify her daughter, who was 17 when she was attacked.

The mother says she believes the type of police crime brought to light by the Holtzclaw case "isn't just a problem in Oklahoma, it's a problem for the nation."

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9:30 p.m.

The grandmother whose allegations led authorities to launch an investigation into ex-Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw was in the courtroom as he was convicted of assaulting her.

Holtzclaw was found guilty Thursday of 18 counts, including four counts of first-degree rape as well as two counts involving her.

The grandmother was the first to testify. She said Holtzclaw pulled her over as she was driving home late at night and ordered her out of her car. He then told her to sit in the backseat of his squad car, where he stood over her and told her to perform oral sex.

She notified police officers hours later, launching a case in which 12 other women eventually came forward.

The woman was tearful after the verdict and prayed with supporters outside the courtroom.

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9 p.m.

A jury ultimately convicted ex-Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw of sexual abuse charges related to eight of the 13 women who testified against him.

Among those accusers was the woman who launched the police investigation into Holtzclaw. A grandmother in her 50s, the woman said Holtzclaw pulled her car over, ordered her into the backseat of his squad car, and stood over her as he demanded oral sex.

She was the first to testify. The last was a teenager who said Holtzclaw raped her on her mother's front porch.

Holtzclaw's attorney focused heavily on whether accusers with drug histories and criminal records were credible. But the jury also convicted him of forcible oral sodomy against a woman who testified wearing orange scrubs and handcuffs.

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8:35 p.m.

A jury has convicted a former Oklahoma City police officer of 18 of the 36 charges he faced related to allegations that he assaulted or victimized 13 women on his beat.

Among the charges 29-year-old Daniel Holtzclaw was found guilty of were four counts of first-degree rape. The jury recommended a 30-year sentence on each of those counts.

Holtzclaw sobbed as Judge Timothy Henderson read the verdicts.

Holtzclaw was ordered into custody. His defense attorney declined to comment.

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8:25 p.m.

A jury has convicted a former Oklahoma City police officer of first-degree rape related to allegations that he assaulted or victimized 13 women on his beat.

Daniel Holtzclaw faces a possible sentence of life in prison after being convicted Thursday.

The 29-year-old Holtzclaw was accused of preying on women in the low-income Oklahoma City neighborhood he patrolled. Prosecutors alleged that he stopped women on the pretense of checking them for outstanding warrants or drug-related items, then forced them to perform sexual acts. The youngest accuser was 17.

All 13 of the women are black. Many had problems with drugs or criminal records.

The allegations against him brought new attention to the problem of sexual misconduct committed by law enforcement.

Holtzclaw did not testify.

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7:45 p.m.

A verdict has been reached in the case of a former Oklahoma City police officer accused of sexually victimizing 13 black women.

Judge Timothy Henderson announced Thursday evening that the jury had reached a decision. It's to be announced soon.

The 29-year-old Holtzclaw faces 36 counts of rape, sexual battery and other charges. Prosecutors allege Holtzclaw targeted women in the low-income neighborhood that he patrolled. Holtzclaw's lawyer portrayed him as a model officer and questioned the credibility of the women who testified against him.

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2:30 p.m.

Oklahoma County's top prosecutor remains optimistic that a jury will return guilty verdicts in the case of a former Oklahoma City police officer accused of sexually victimizing 13 black women.

The eight-man, four-woman jury has been considering the case against ex-officer Daniel Holtzclaw since Monday.

District Attorney David Prater said Thursday the four days of deliberations are the longest he remembers for any jury. He says he's confident the panel is working hard on a complicated case.

The 29-year-old Holtzclaw faces 36 counts of rape, sexual battery and other charges. Prosecutors allege Holtzclaw targeted women in the low-income neighborhood that he patrolled. Holtzclaw's lawyer portrayed him as a model officer and questioned the credibility of the women who testified against him.

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9:45 a.m.

Jurors have returned to their deliberations in the case of a former Oklahoma City police officer accused of sexually victimizing 13 women.

The jury opened its fourth day of deliberations on Thursday, which is the 29th birthday of former police officer Daniel Holtzclaw. He faces 36 counts of rape, sexual battery and other charges.

The eight-man, four-woman jury has been considering Holtzclaw's fate since Monday. Both the judge in the case and the lead prosecutor say it's the longest deliberation in any case in which they've been involved.

Holtzclaw faces up to life in prison if convicted of rape.

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1 a.m.

Jurors are set to resume deliberations in the trial of a former Oklahoma City police officer accused of sexually victimizing 13 women in the low-income neighborhood he patrolled.

Jury members will return to the courthouse Thursday morning for their fourth day of work in the case of Daniel Holtzclaw, who faces 36 counts of rape, sexual battery and other charges. They deliberated Wednesday for nearly 13 hours before disbanding for the night without reaching a verdict. They were to be sequestered overnight in a hotel. They have now met for about 34 hours over three days.

Holtzclaw, who turns 29 Thursday, could spend the rest of his life in prison if he is convicted on any of six first-degree rape counts.

The victims say they met Holtzclaw while he was on duty, and prosecutors say the ex-officer intimidated them into not reporting his crimes. Holtzclaw's lawyer portrayed him as a model officer and questioned the credibility of the women who testified against him.